Folding sawhorse bracket



Dec. 6, 1966 c. o. LARSON 3,

FOLDING SAWHORSE BRACKET Filed Sept. 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR.

CHARLES O. LARSON ATrvs Dec. 6, 1966 c. o. LARSON FOLDING SAWHORSE BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept.

INVENTOR.

CHARLES O. LARSON United States Patent 3,289,789 FOLDING SAWHUJRSE BRACKET Charles 0. Larson, fiterling, 111., assignor to Chas. 0. Larson (30., Sterling, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 306,724 1 Claim. (Cl. 182-226) The present invention relates to sawhorses, trestles, and the like, and particularly to a sawhorse bracket assembly for making folding collapsible sawhorses and the like.

Although sawhorses are fundamentally used in carpentry, they are also widely used as barriers, temporary fences, or other obstacles and many of these possible uses are temporary in the sense that the sawhorses may be utilized only for a short period of time, such for example, :as a temporary barrier along a road under construction, after which the sawhorses are either stored or transported to another place of use.

Therefore, it is desirable that the sawhorses be adapted to have the legs thereof folded or collapsed between periods of use and during the transportation thereof so that the sawhorses will occupy the least possible space. It furthermore is desirable that the sawhorses be foldable or collapsible with a minimum expenditure of time and energy and also that the sawhorses be readily erectable again when a demand therefor arises. Finally, when erected, the sawhorses must be strong and rigid in order to accomplish the desired end purpose thereof.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved sawhorse bracket assembly which can be utilized quickly to assembly a sawhorse from standard lumber such as 2" x 4 lumber, the sawhorse being easily and quickly folded or collapsed for transportation or storage thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sawhorse bracket assembly of the type set forth in which the legs of the sawhorse are firmly held in the operative position with the associated crosspiece when it is desired to erect the sawhorse, and which can be readily collapsed by folding the legs toward each other without the use of any tools whatsoever.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in an improved sawhorse bracket assembly of the type set forth improved structure for securing the upper ends of the legs to the sawhorse brackets and for securing the crosspiece to the sawhorse brackets.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sawhorse bracket assembly of the type set forth which is simple and economical to manufacture and which may be readily and economically assembled with standard lumber to provide a completed sawhorse assembly.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the parts whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sawhorse of the type which can be constructed utilizing the improved bracket assembly of the present invention, two of the bracket assemblies being utilized to secure one set of legs in converging relationship with each other and one end of a crosspiece and two of the bracket assemblies being utilized to secure a second set of legs in converging relationship with each other and the other end of the crosspiece;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the sawhorse of FIG. 1 with certain portions broken away, the parts being shown in the position assumed when the sawhorse legs are in the folded position thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the parts of the sawhorse assembly in the operative position thereof wherein the sawhorse legs diverge outwardly and downwardly from the crosspiece;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged and exploded view of the parts of two bracket assemblies utilized to secure a pair of sawhorse legs to the sawhorse crosspiece; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of an end of the sawhorse assembly with the parts in the unfolded position in which they are placed more easily to move the legs and associated parts from the operative position to the folded position thereof.

There is shown in the drawings a sawhorse, generally designated by the numeral 10, which has been assembled utilizing four of the bracket assemblies made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, the bracket assemblies having been designated by the numeral 26. More particularly, the sawhorse 10 includes four legs 12 arranged in pairs at the opposite ends of a crosspiece 14, the upper ends of the legs 12 converging toward each other and toward the adjacent end of the crosspiece 14, the legs 12 and the crosspiece 14 being formed of standard size lumber such as 2" x 4" lumber. The bracket assemblies 20 at each end of the sawhorse 10 are identical, and accordingly, only one set of parts will be described in detail, like reference numerals being applied where appropriate to like parts in the other bracket assemblies.

Each of the sawhorse bracket assemblies 20 includes a pair of separate and independent brackets 22 and 122, the brackets 22 and 122 being mirror images one of the other but being otherwise identical. The bracket 22 includes a main wall 24 which is susbtantially flat and planar and a side flange 26 formed integral therewith and extending the length of the outer edge thereof. There is formed on the bottom of the main plate 24 a bottom edge 23 which has a length substantially equal to the thickness of the associated leg 12 and more particularly extends from the flange 26 inwardly to the [opposite side of the leg 12 and there joins a curved side edge 3% which extends outwardly beyond the associated leg 12 and then inwardly toward the adjacent side of the leg 12 and terminates in an upper or top edge 32 which is generally parallel to the bottom edge 28. A cutout is formed in the upper portion of the main plate 24, the cutout being defined by the top edge 32 and an edge 38 extending upwardly and to the left therefrom as viewed in FIG. 2, the upper end of the edge 38 joining another edge 36 that is parallel both to the bottom edge 28 and the top edge 32. The other edge 34 of the main plate 24 has the flange 26 extending therefrom and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto as has been described above.

The upwardly extending edge 38 on the main plate 24- has a crosspiece flange til formed integral therewith and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to the flange 26, the flange 40 being generally rectangular in shape and of substantial extent. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 42 is provided at the junction between the main plate 24 and the crosspiece flange 40 along the edge 35;. In order to attach the crosspiece 14 to the bracket 22 if desired, three circular holes 44 are formed therein, the holes 44 being arranged in a generally triangular relationship as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings, it being understood that the holes 44 are adapted to receive nails, screws or other fasteners for securing the crosspiece 14 to the sawhorse bracket 22.

In accordance with the present invention, structure is also provided more firmly to mount and position the adjacent upper end of the associated leg 12 with respect to the sawhorse bracket 22 and to this end an abutment flange 46 is formed in the main wall 24, the abutment flange 46 being substantially semi-circular in shape and struck from the main body 24 and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending therefrom in the same direction as the side flange 26. The lower surface of flange 46 is preferably formed in alignment with the top edge 32 to insure that the upper end of the associated leg 12 will not interfere with the upper positioning of the crosspiece 14. There further are provided two guide flanges 48 and 50 in the main wall 24 of the bracket 22, both of the guide flanges 48 and 56 being semi-circular in shape and disposed substantially perpendicular to the main plate 24 and extending therefrom in the same direction as the side flange 26 and the abutment flange 46. The surfaces of the guide flanges 48 and 50 disposed toward the side flange 26 are spaced therefrom a distance such as to receive therebetween the thickness of a typical associated leg 12, which preferably is formed of a standard 2" x 4". Accordingly, the upper end of the associated leg 12 is restrained between the side flange 26 and the guide flanges 48 and 50, the side flange 26 contacting one of the broad side faces of the leg 12 and the guide flanges 48 and 50 contacting the other broad face thereof. The upper end of the leg 12 abuts against the abutment flange 46 as has been explained above. In order further to position the leg 12 with respect to the bracket 22, a plurality of circular holes 52 is formed in the main plate 24, the holes 52 being five in a number as illustrated in FIG. 2 and being staggered but all confined within the area bounded by the side flange 26, the bottom edge 28, the abutment flange 46 and the guide flanges 48 and 50. The holes 42 are adapted to receive any suitable fastener such as nails, screws or the like useful in securing the bracket 22 to the upper end of the leg 12, nails 54 being shown disposed in two of the holes 52 in FIG. 2 of the drawings. There further is provided a pair of reinforcement ribs 56 at the junction of the main plate 24 and the side flange 26 to maintain these parts in the proper angular relationship with respect to each other.

In order pivotally to connect a pair of brackets to form an assembly 20, the bracket 22, and more particularly, the main plate 24 thereof, is provided with a pivot aperture 58 therein (see FIG. 4) which is circular in shape and is disposed toward the top edge 32 thereof but outside of the line defined by the guide flanges 48 and 50. There also is provided in the main plate 24 a generally L-shaped slot 60 including a first arm 62 and a second arm 64, the first arm 62 being arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof in alignment with the pivot aperture 58 and disposed therebelow toward the bottom edge 28, the second arm 64 being arranged to extend from the upper end of the arm 62 with the longitudinal axis thereof disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first arm 62 and extending toward the side flange 26.

As has been pointed out above, the bracket 122 is formed as the mirror image of the bracket 22 but is in all other respects identical therewith, and accordingly, the parts of the bracket 122 corresponding to the parts in the bracket 22 have been assigned the same reference numerals except with the number 100 added thereto. More specifically, the bracket 122 includes a main plate 124 having formed along one of the longitudinal edges thereof an integral side flange 126 disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending therefrom. The lower end of the bracket 122 as viewed in FIG. 2 has a bottom edge 128 disposed substantially perpendicular to the flange 126 and joining with a curved edge 130 extending upwardly to the left and then inwardly to a top edge 132, the top edge 132 being substantially parallel to the bottom edge 128. The junction between the main plate 124 and the side flange 126 is along an edge 134 which joins the bottom edge 128 at the bottom thereof and joins another top edge 136 at the top thereof. A cutout to receive the crosspiece 14 is provided in the upper portion of the main plate 124, the cutout being bounded by the top edge 136 and an inclined edge 138 extending upwardly 4 and to the right in FIG. 2. Formed integral with the main plate 124 along the edge 138 is a crosspiece flange 140 that is essentially rectangular in form and is disposed perpendicular to the main plate 124 and extends therefrom in a direction opposite to the side flange 126. A pair of reinforcing ribs 142 is provided between the main plate 124 and the flange 140 and a plurality of circular holes 144 is provided in the flange 140 to receive suitable fasteners for securing the bracket 122 to the crosspiece 14.

There further is provided in the main plate 134 an abutment flange 146 disposed perpendicular to the main plate 124 and extending therefrom in the same direction as the flange 124, the lower surface of the flange 146 being in substantial alignment with the top edge 132. A pair of guide flanges 148 and 150 is also provided in the main plate 124, the guide flanges 148 and 50 being disposed substantially perpendicular to the main plate 124 and extending therefrom in the same direction as the side flange 126 and spaced from the side flange 126 a distance to receive the upper end of a leg 12 therebetween. In order to interconnect the bracket 122 and the associated leg 12, five circular holes 152 have been formed in the main plate 124 for the reception of fasteners such as the nails 154. The junction between the main plate 124 and the side plate 126 is also reinforced by a pair of ribs 156.

In order pivotally to interconnect the brackets 22 and 122, the main plate 124 is provided with a pivot aperture 158 therein which is circular in shape and is disposed upwardly toward the top edge 132 but outwardly with respect to the guide flanges 148 and 150. There also is provided a generally L-shaped slot 160 including a first arm 162 and a second arm 164, the first arm 162 being arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof in alignment with the pivot aperture 158 and disposed therebelow toward the bottom edge 128, the second arm 164 extending from the upper end of the arm 162 with the longitudinal axis thereof disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the arm 162 and extending toward the side flange 126.

In the bracket assembly 20, the brackets 22 and 122 are arranged with the main plates 24 and 124 in mutually overlapping relationship and a pivot pin generally designated by the numeral 70 is provided including a head 72 and a shank 74, the shank 74 extending through the aligned pivot apertures 58 and 158 with the head 72 engaging the main plate 24. The end of the shank 74 extending through the brackets carries a washer 76 held thereon by peening over the outer end of the shank 74 so that the main walls 24 and 124 are held in assembled pivotal relationship between the head 72 and the washer 76.

There is also provided a lock pin which extends through the L-shaped slots 60 and 160 in the brackets 22 and 122, respectively, the lock pin being generally designated by the numeral 88 and including a head 82 and a shank 84 extending through aligned portions of the L-shaped slots 60 and 160 with the head 82 bearing against the outer surface of the main plate 24. The other end of the 'shank 84 carries thereon a washer 86 which bears against the outer surface of the main wall 124 of the bracket 122 and is held thereagainst by peening over the outer end of the shank 84. The pivot pin 80 is free to move within the slots 60 and 160 between a non-locking or folded position illustrated in FIG. 2 and a locking or extended position illustrated in FIG. 3, the non-locking position of FIG. 2 illustrating the positions of the parts when the legs 12 of the sawhorse 10 are folded toward each other, and the locking position of FIG. 3 illustrating the positions of the parts when the legs 12 diverge outwardly and downwardly with respect to the crosspiece 14, the crosspiece flanges 4t) and 140 being disposed toward and against the longitudinal and vertical edges of the crosspiece 14.

In mounting the bracket assembly 20 upon the legs 12 and the crosspiece 14, the bracket assembly 20 preferably has the parts thereof pre-assembled before the attachment thereof to the legs 12 and the crosspiece 14. Once the parts of the assembly 20 have been connected as described above, the ends of the legs 12 are inserted into the channels defined by the side flange 26 and the guide flanges 48 and 50 in the case of the bracket 22 and the side flange 126 and the guide flanges 148 and 150 in the case of the bracket 122, the legs 12 being moved upwardly until the ends thereof are abutted against the abutment flanges 46 and 146, respectively. The nails 54 and 154 are then inserted into the respective holes 52 and 152 and are driven home, thereby to assemble the assembly 20 upon the associated legs 12. The crosspiece 14 is then placed between the opposed crosspiece flanges 40 and 140 and the bracket plates 22 and 122 moved to the open position thereof, i.e., with the lower ends of the legs 12 diverging outwardly and downwardly with respect to each other. In many installations no further connection between the bracket assembly 20 and the crosspiece 14 is required. However, if it is desired to attach the crosspiece 14 to the bracket assembly 20 while still permitting folding of the legs 12, fasteners may be inserted through only one of the crosspiece flanges, such, for example, as the crosspiece flange 40, thereby fixedly to attach the crosspiece 14 to the bracket assembly 20. With the parts so connected it is still possible to fold the legs 12 between the positions illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. If on the other hand it is not necessary to fold the legs 12 or if the legs 12 are folded only infrequently, then the fasteners may also be inserted through the openings 144 in the crosspiece flange 140 so as firmly to lock the parts in the position illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

Once the parts are assembled as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, i.e., with the crosspiece 14 secured only to the crosspiece flange 14, for example, the lock pin 80 is utilized and serves to hold the legs 12 in the outer supporting and operative position thereof when the parts are arranged as illustrated in FIG. 3, i.e., with the lock pin 80 disposed ih the lower ends of the aligned Lshaped slots 60 and 1669. Any movement of the legs 12 toward each other will be prevented since the edges of the slots 60 and 16d, and particularly the edges of the first arms 62 and 162 thereof, respectively will engage the lock pin 80 and prevent such movement of the legs 12, whereby the lock pin 80 serves to hold the parts of the sawhorse assembly in the erected and operative position thereof.

When it is desired to fold the legs 12 toward each other and into the position illustrated in FIG. 2, this can be most readily accomplished by first placing the sawhorse 10 in the inverted position diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 5. The placing of the sawhorse 10 in the position of FIG. 5 will permit the lock pins 80 to be readily moved, sometimes only under the urging of gravity, along the aligned slots 60 and 160, and particularly along the arms 62 and 162 thereof, respectively, to the aligned portions thereof nearest the pivot pin '70 and further into the aligned portions of the second arms 64 and 164 of the slots 6th and 160, respectively. The legs 12 can now be moved toward each other thereby to move the pivot pin 80 into the slot arms 64 and 164 until the parts reach the position illustrated in FIG. 2. When it is desired again to spread the legs 12 to place the parts in the operative position, it is necessary only to place the sawhorse 10 in the upright position thereof and move the outer ends of the legs 12 away from each other, whereby to cause the lock pin 80 to move along the slot arms 64 and 164 toward the junctions thereof with the slot arms 62 and 162; and when the pivot pin 80 arrives in the slot arms 62 and 162, these slot arms will be in vertical alignment with each other, whereby the lock pin 80 can readily fall downwardly under the urging of gravity to the locking position illustrated in FIG. 3. Accordingly, it will be seen that the legs 12 and the various parts of the bracket assembly can be moved between the operative and folded positions thereof without the use of any tools and quickly and conveniently by simply turning the sawhorse 10 upside down and then rightside up, or vice versa, as required.

Although the invention has been described for illustrative purposes as applied to sawhorse assemblies wherein the legs 12 and the crosspiece 14 are formed of 2" x 4" lumber, it is to be understood that other standard sizes of lumber may be used. More specifically, the legs 12 may be made of lumber having a thickness of 1" rather than 2" and the width of the lumber may be 2", 6" or 8" rather than 4". Likewise, the crosspiece 14 may be formed of 2 x 6" lumber or 2" x 8 lumber rather than a 2 x 4" lumber described above.

It will be seen that there has been provided an improved collapsible sawhorse bracket assembly which fulfills all of the objects and advantages set forth above. More particularly, an improved sawhorse bracket assembly has been provided which gives a more firm connection between the crosspiece 14 and the bracket assembly 20 through the broad expanse of the crosspiece flanges 40 and 140. There likewise is an improved connection between the legs 12 and the bracket assemblies 20 provided by the cooperation among the side flange 26, the abutment flange 46 and the guide flanges 48 and 50 on the bracket 22, and the cooperation among the side flange 126, the abutment flange 146 and the guide flanges 148 and 150 on the bracket 122.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible sawhorse bracket assembly for interconnecting a crosspiece and a pair of legs in converging relationship with each other and to the crosspiece, comprising a pair of separate and independent brackets, each bracket including a main wall adapted to be fixedly secured to one edge of an associated leg at one end thereof and a side flange formed integral with said Wall and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and along the outer face of the associated leg at the one end thereof, said main wall and said side flange extending beyond the adjacent end of the associated leg and said main wall having a cutout therein on the edge opposite said side flange for receiving a supporting crosspiece therein, an abutment flange integral with said main wall and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending in the same direction as said side flange and being adapted to lie against the upper end of the associated leg, a guide flange integral with said main wall and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending therefrom in the same direction as said side flange and placed therefrom a distance to receive the associated leg therebetween, a plurality of openings in said main wall in the area thereof defined by said side flange and said abutment flange and said guide flange for receiving fasteners therethrough to secure said bracket to the associated leg, a crosspiece flange integral with one edge of said main wall defining said cutout and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said side flange and adapted to lie along the side of an associated crosspiece, said crosspiece flange having an opening therein for receiving a. fastener therethrough to secure said bracket to the associated crosspiece, said brackets being overlapping and. having aligned pivot apertures therethrough, a pivot pin disposed in said aligned pivot apertures and pivotally interconnecting said brackets to provide an axis for pivoting the legs with respect thereto between a folded position wherein the outer ends thereof are adjacent to each other and an operative position wherein the outer ends thereof are spaced apart, each of said brackets having an L-shaped slot in the main wall thereof including first and second arms, the first arm of each of said L-shaped slots being arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof in alignment with said first arm of the other L-shaped slot when the legs are in the operative position thereof, the second arm of each of said L-shaped slots being arranged at the end of the associated first arm thereof disposed toward said pivot pin and extending therefrom outwardly toward the associated leg, and a lock pin disposed in said L-shaped slots and movable therealong in the aligned portions thereof between a .lockng position and a nonlocl ing position as the legs move between the operative and the folded positions thereof, said lock pin in said locking position being disposed at the ends of the aligned first arms operative position thereof, said lock pin in said non-locking position being disposed in aligned portions of said second arms with the legs in the folded position thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

disposed away from said pivot pin with the legs in the 15 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. 

